Where the Heart Is
by SlyMafia
Summary: Everyone's really confused right now. Scott and Jean broke up? Yeah, Scott and Jean! No one saw that coming. And if they did, no one said anything. And now, Jean's playing a cat-and-mouse game that Logan doesn't look all that interested in. I think he's been staring at...Rogue? Seriously? And Scott...he doesn't even seem like he cares. And who in the hell is the blonde on his bed?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any of the characters. However, I do own my character who I hope you all will like._

_Summary: Jean is horrible. She claims that she will always love him, that she knows for a fact that he is the man she'll end up. Yet and still, she's trying to play a game of cat-and-mouse that Logan obviously does not wish to play and Scott…why hasn't Scott reacted? He doesn't appear broken up about Jean at all. He appears…almost nonchalant. No matter, everyone's tired. It was a long day and the mission was grueling. And who in the hell is the blonde on Scott's bed?_

_So, I know that there at X-Men lovers out there and I really hope that no one hates me for what I'm about to do. I'm going to change some of the history of the X-Men characters. Naturally, everything that happened in the first movie is real. However, it's the events before the first movie that I'm changing a little. Just bear with me…please._

_On to the story…_

How did we ever come to this  
I never thought you'd be  
Someone I'd have to miss...  
And there I was caught in your game  
Needing answers that never came  
And we took a chance,  
You said you were strong  
Strong enough  
But you were wrong...

_You Will Never Be_ by Julia Sheer

Scott heard her. He heard everything she had to say. When Jean had said she needed to talk and took them back to their room, Scott had followed without a word. There was nothing he could say. He didn't need to really say anything at this point. She was a big girl; she could get what she needed to get off her chest. So, he listened.

And didn't say one word.

And that irritated Jean beyond belief.

Here she was, trying to explain everything to him and all he could offer was the impassive expression on his face. She contemplated using her powers on him, but opted out of it. It had always been a sacred thing between them and a rule the Professor heavily enforced. No probing into people's minds. Jean had done a very good job with doing that…at least, in the eyes of the public. Sure, there were times in which she took it upon herself to peer into the minds of her colleagues and students. But not to go snooping around their personal business, but to uncover the truth of a situation. Perhaps, certain…things came up and she tucked them away to make sure that no one knew she knew. But at this particular moment, she really wished she could defy that rule.

She wanted to breakup. And yes, that was a big deal. They were Scott Summers and Jean Grey for goodness sake! They were like…the William and Kate in the X Mansion. Everyone knew that they would be married and that the two of them loved each other. So, why the breakup? Well, Jean was…still quite young. She was twenty-six, and yes, she was aware that she was old enough to settle down. But that was the problem. She found that she did not want to settle down. It did not diminish her love for Scott in any way. She just needed…time.

So…why in the hell was Scott not saying anything?

"Scott," Jean said softly, hands clasped on her lap. She had pulled the chair to the bedroom desk in front of the bed and sat on it before him. He was seated on the bed, no hint of him even being there except for the somewhat clenched jaw. Jean frowned slightly and leaned forward, encasing his slightly larger hand in her slender one. But, as if her touch somehow stunned him now, Scott yanked his hand away without a word. "Scott, please."

"Okay." That was all he said. Despite the fact that the only emotion he showed her was a twinge of perhaps disdain as he had snatched away from her, all Scott could offer her was an okay? Jean sat, perplexed. What in God's name was going on here?

"Okay?"

"Okay." This time, he said it with a slight shrug and a sudden anger flared up inside of Jean at that. But she calmed herself. She had to remember that this was a delicate conversation and that no man had loved her like Scott did. She doubted if any man would.

"Scott, I'm telling you that I think we need a break and all you can say is okay?" The disbelief and slight pain in her tone was evident and Scott ran a tired hand over his short hair. It had grown a little, but was still manageable. As long as it didn't become shoulder-length or worse, he was fine.

"Well, Jean, once you say you want to go fuck Logan, all I _can_ do is say okay," Scott pretty much growled and Jean flinched, shutting her eyes as the truth and resentment in that statement slapped her in the face. Alas, it was exactly what Jean wanted to do. At least, that was the conclusion Scott came to. It was a horrible one really and it was even worse because it could be damaging to Jean's character. The beloved, well-respected psychiatrist and teacher breaking up with her boyfriend of…how long as it been? Four years now?

"That's _not_ what I said," Jean replied back, hurt. "Have you heard _anything_ I said for the last fifteen minutes?" Jean swore that if Scott didn't truly give a damn, he would have just shot her with his lasers. The look he was giving her through his visors spoke volumes and the way he clenched and unclenched his jaw had her tensing for another argument. That's all they seemed to do anymore anyway. Or at least, she'd argue.

In Scott's head, he choked back a laugh. Had he heard anything she said? Yes, he heard every last word and quite frankly, he didn't feel anything about it. There should be some kind of pain that accompanied this breakup. It should devastate him. His love for Jean should morph into a hurt that even her reassurance of eventual, renewed romance could not remedy. But he just felt…nothing.

And for some reason, he was alright with that.

However, her blatant desire for him to feel _something_ for her words sent anger straight to his tongue. He couldn't hold back any words to hear at this particular moment. How dare she think that she deserves some damn reaction?

"What exactly do you expect me to do right now, huh, Jean? Curl up in fetal position? Cry and beg for you not to leave me?" Scott spat and Jean could only stare in surprise. Since when did he become so…harsh towards her? Since when did the gentleness and care in which he used to handle her die? He pointed to the door nonchalantly. "There's the door!"

"And you're ready? You're ready to just give this up – give _us_ up – _that_ easily," Jean asked incredulously and Scott raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you _not_ hear yourself right now? Jean, _I'm_ giving us up!?" The outrage in his now calm voice actually sent a frightening chill down Jean's spine. She had only heard Scott talk to enemies with that tone before sending a very powerful blast and, on rare occasions, punches their way. He had never, not in any of their arguments, directed it her way. Truthfully, in their arguments, Scott gave up. He would sit there and let her vent before apologizing. He wasn't ready to do that today.

"Scott –

"_No, I'm not finished!_" Scott yelled and Jean found herself flinching again. At this point, she was pretty sure people would hear them in the hallway and she was even more positive that Hank and Logan, in particular, could hear them. But Scott didn't appear as if he cared and gave a short laugh. "You must really think I can be easily manipulated or something if you think _you_ can turn this into some victim story for yourself. _I'm giving us up!?_ Jean, you gave us up two years ago when you met Logan. It just took him coming back and being uninterested in you to realize that."

Jean's mouth fell open and then closed. That repeated twice before her lips spread into a thin line. Her eyes shined with fresh tears at the accusation. The very truthful accusation. But Scott had no right to fully throw this one on her.

"That's not fair, Scott," she swore and Scott was really contemplating punching the wall. He hadn't gotten this explosive with anyone in a very long time. Jean stood and pointed a shaky finger at him. "You…y-y-you put me on a pedestal and you were suddenly surprised when you found out that I wasn't perfect. I have tried to remain faithful and hopeful with this relationship, but all you do is put up this wall that I can't break down –

"A wall that wouldn't be up in the first place if _you_ just told the truth." A few angry tears fell down Jean's face and she glared at Scott.

"You want the truth? The truth is…you don't love me like you did before!" She screamed and at this point, they both knew that they were loud enough for anyone to hear. And neither gave a damn. "Once you realized your perfect little red robin wasn't so fucking perfect, you gave up. You didn't even fight for me –

"And I won't," Scott simply said.

He was done fighting a losing battle. Nothing triumphed over Jean's selfish desires. She wanted to feel like she was still young and that she could do what she wanted. She wanted to find herself with other men, namely Logan, and rediscover the desires of the teenage life she didn't have. And she expected Scott to fine with that and he wasn't. The silence that permeated the air after that statement was deafening. Jean's hand dropped and her shoulders slumped, the expression on her face defeated and beyond devastated.

"You…you just give up? Just like that?" Her voice squeaked at that last questioned and behind his visors, Scott's eyes were tired.

"Just like that." Jean shook her head, trying to wipe away the oncoming onslaught of tears. Scott only fixed her with the stoniest of expressions. "Jean, you will never be perfect. And I never thought you were. But somewhere down the line, and you can give me all the excuses in the world, but I suddenly wasn't good enough for Dr. Jean Grey. And…I'm done."

The finality was real. The pain – the raw tone of betrayal and maybe even humiliation – lingered in his voice and all Jean did was steel herself. She would not dare to feel guilty for wanting more than what Scott offered. She wanted a warm dose of passion. All he gave was a cold brick wall. So, why was she still here fighting?

"Fine. I'll move back into my old bedroom tonight. The Professor will give me the key," she told him coldly. Scott shrugged and made his way back to the bed – his bed now.

"Whatever you want, Jean. At this point, I don't really care."

And now I'm...

Deafened by your silence  
Blinded by the tears  
If you're looking for forgiveness  
You won't find that here  
Cause you lied your way to heartbreak  
And now it's all too clear  
That you will never be...


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any of the characters. However, I do own my character who I hope you all will like._

_Summary: Jean is horrible. She claims that she will always love him, that she knows for a fact that he is the man she'll end up. Yet and still, she's trying to play a game of cat-and-mouse that Logan obviously does not wish to play and Scott…why hasn't Scott reacted? He doesn't appear broken up about Jean at all. He appears…almost nonchalant. No matter, everyone's tired. It was a long day and the mission was grueling. And who in the hell is the blonde on Scott's bed?_

Misplaced trust and old friends  
Never counting the regrets  
By the grace of God I do not rest at all

New England as the leaves change  
The last excuse that I'll claim  
I was a boy who loved a woman like a little girl

_A Drop in the Ocean_ by Ron Pope

"Scott," Jean called. He ignored her.

Everyone else looked around at each other. Jean took two deep breaths, trying to remain calm in the eyes of the public. It was no secret that the two weren't together anymore. Bobby and John were asked to help Jean move her things. Scott hardly said a word to Jean anymore and even Storm lessened her communication with the red-haired teacher. Jean was openly flirting with Logan now and he was more or less responding.

"Scott –

"Everyone's safe, Jean. That's all that matters right now," Scott said slowly and calmly. Their Fearless leader was playing the card he played better than anyone else; the stoic and emotionless one. He did not show an ounce of anger nor did he show an inkling of irritation. It was truly terrifying and the only people who were not intimidated were Storm, Logan, and Jean.

Jean's frown deepened and in Rogue's eyes, and perhaps she was just being testy because Jean pissed her off, it made her look older. But she kept that little thought to herself and set to humming a little tune in her head. Jean's head whipped around and her eyes narrowed at the young woman, who noticed and continued to stare at the opposite wall. Jubilee and Kitty snickered and Logan shook his head.

"Jeanie," Logan only said something because if she got any redder, she'd start to clash with her own hair. And Logan thought she'd rather look attractive than like a ripened tomato. Plus, he'd be damned if anyone came for Rogue. She was off limits, even for the woman everyone thought he was crazy about. "If Scooter doesn't want to throw his temper tantrum yet, don't make him. Boy scouts are gentlemen, remember?" Rogue smirked and Jean gave a stiff smile. Scott scoffed.

"Yes, and dogs do a lot of barking, right Logan?" Scott replied. The junior members, Rogue included, had to stifle their laughter at the remark. Even Storm bit her lip to keep from releasing giggles. Logan couldn't help but laugh a little, impressed. The back-and-forth he had with Scott had improved since the breakup and Logan was thoroughly entertained by it. It was evident that there was no real animosity between the two and all this was was playful banter. Well, maybe it was…most of the time.

"Screw you, Scooter." Scott grinned.

"Back at you." Jean scowled.

That was really the gist of the ride. The mission had taken approximately twelve hours of the team's time. They had been called early this morning to handle this rowdy mutant situation in England. Apparently, the police couldn't handle the situation and the mutant was running wild around the Big Ben. After the situation was taken care of, the group was left feeling exhausted. They chased the idiot all over London. Logan got fed up and slashed through one of the poles that stood as the foundation for a bridge and well…the situation escalated from there. There was commotion all over. England was ready to sue and it became a big political mess that no one needed to deal with. So, they left.

By the time the team returned to the hangar, Jean was practically seething. How dare Scott treat her this way! Sure, they didn't break up in the most pleasant of ways. But, she was an integral part of this team, damnit. She should not be ignored over something as petty as a breakup and she had the right mind to call Scott out on his disregard to her. As they were exiting the jet, she called to him. He continued to ignore her and Jean could feel her mutation prickling in her brain, causing a few random objects in the hangar to rise. Storm's eyes widened slightly.

"Jean." Jean's red head whipped around to meet the eyes of the white-haired beauty before the objects fell. Growling under her breath, Jean stormed through the chattering junior members and Logan as she high-tailed it behind a seemingly unaware Scott.

"Scott, do not keep ignoring me!" She shouted behind him as they reached the elevator and Scott really wished she would shove that pride of hers up her ass. He didn't owe her anything. When the elevator doors opened, Scott turned to her.

"I'm not ignoring you, Jean," he told her sardonically with a smirk forming in his lips. Then his face grew thoughtful before realization seemed to appear and he shrugged. "Oh, wait. I am." Jean scowled as Scott entered and put her hand in the way of the elevator door. Scott was scowling now as the redhead entered the elevator with him.

"Can you be a little more mature, Scott?" She snarled now that they were officially away from their other ream members. It was a little past eleven so the kids should be asleep. Scott chuckled.

"You wanna talk about mature?" By this time, Scott had stepped a little closer to Jean, revealing how much of the same height they were. Sure, he was probably an inch or two taller if you really wanted to try to measure them out, but he was still able to accomplish his goal of intimidating her into a slight submission. But Jean's eyes refused to move away from his intense gaze, her shoulders squared as if she could take whatever he had to say. "Let's talk about that little mind control thing you did on our little subject." Jean paled. Her mouth opened and closed for a moment, leaving Scott to swallow down the desire to laugh. She looked like a little fish.

"He was mentally unstable and I was within my rights –

"What rights? As X-men, we don't _force_ people into submission through mind control. And as the professor's _favorite_ student, _you_ should know that!" Jean felt like screaming in anger at being reminded of her closeness to the professor.

"That's not fair!" Scott rolled his eyes as the elevator stopped on their floor and exited with an enraged Jean still following him. Didn't she get the hint yet? He didn't want to be bothered.

"You know, you keep telling me that and I _still_ can't find it in me to care," Scott tossed at her over his shoulder.

"_That's it!_ Scott Summers, you listen to me." Scott wasn't trying to. He was nearing his bedroom and if he could get there soon enough, he could slam the door in her face and ignore her for the rest of the night. And then the professor interrupted his train of thought and her rant. _Scott, Jean, there will be a meeting in my office in fifteen minutes_, he mentally informed them and Scott had to fight to keep from punching the wall in frustration. He already knew what the conversation was about and whirled on Jean.

"Look, I'm going to go change, I'm going to attend this meeting, and then I'm going to get in my bed and hopefully sleep _this_," he pointed between the two of them, "away. I could care less what you are going to do." Jean pouted as Scott opened his bedroom door.

"Scott –

Both adults froze and damp blonde hair whipped around so that the stranger seated on Scott's bed turned around. Jean stared at the woman, shocked and curious, while the woman in response stared with a small smile playing at the corner of her delicately-tinted lips. Scott stared impassively.

"Oh," her melodic voice called out, a charming, upper crust English accent laced in her voice. It was rather exhilarating for Jean, at least, because the accent had been admired on her part since childhood. She faintly recalled mocking such an accent back then, but never being able to accomplish the perfection that was the voice she just heard. _Never mind that_, her mind quipped and Jean took a step forward, eyeing the blond warily.

She was seated on the bed with her legs crossed, body leaning backwards slightly while her hands rested on the mattress to hold her slim frame up. Long blonde hair appeared to be damp and judging by the reminiscent steam that lingered on the glass in the bathroom from where they stood, it was obvious she had just gotten out of the shower. The strands stuck to her face and her shoulders. She wore a pair of black yoga pants that clung to the shape of her toned thighs and lithe legs. A black cami with a V neck hugged her upper body. Captivating and piercing icy blue eyes returned Jean's gaze. She was relatively pretty to Jean, gorgeous even. And still a stranger.

"What are you doing in my room?" Jean was the first to speak and Scott shot her a quick glare that did not go unnoticed by the blonde.

"It's actually _my_ room," he decided to remind her before returning his gaze to the other woman. "What the hell are you doing in my room?" The blonde didn't appear to be taken aback by his tone. In fact, to Jean, she seemed almost amused by it.

"Are you really asking me that question?" She inquired and Scott took a few steps into the bedroom. She stood and Jean watched from the door, clueless as to what was happening. One second, Scott seemed unperturbed. The next, he acted as if he were a tad bit pissed.

"Yeah, I am. Answer it." The girl pouted slightly.

"Someone sounds demanding." Scott shrugged.

"Well, when you invade someone's privacy and refuse to answer their questions, they might get a little testy." She giggled before shaking her head, giving a little tisk-tisk sound.

"For shame, Scott Summers," she said and Jean's thoughts proved to be accurate. Their body language and the fact that she seemed more than happy to be in his presence proved that they were familiar with one another. And the professor must've noticed that there was a newcomer in the building, so she obviously wasn't a threat. But who the hell was she? "Is that any way to treat a woman?" Scott scoffed as the two reached a point where they were one step away from one another.

"No, but I don't have time to play your games either." The woman raised an inquisitive eyebrow. In Scott's eyes, it was rather teasing.

"Why? Afraid I might win?" She was taunting him now and the smile he was trying to keep off his face was slowly creeping through the frown. Damn this woman and her uncanny ability to change his mood with just her presence.

"You always win," he reminded her, his voice actually softer now. The blonde's smile widened as she realized that she had won this round.

"Would you believe me if I said I missed you?"

"Hell no." She frowned.

"That's very mean, Scott." He chuckled down at her seeing how her head only just came up to his chin. His thumb tingled with the desire to smooth that pout away.

"What do you plan to do about that?"

With that question in the air, the blonde grabbed hold of the front of Scott's uniform, causing Jean to be on her guard for a second. But then she surprised Jean by pulling Scott as close as possible, leaving no distance between their bodies. Icy blue eyes rose to meet Scott's gaze through the visors and a smooth hand reached up to graze his strong jaw. The hand slowly moved up to the side of his face, fingertips leaving behind a trail of calming warmth as her hand slowly went to the back of his head. Jean found herself, without wanting to, looking away for a second as the movement seemed to be too intimate for her to witness. Scott allowed the woman to bring his head closer to hers as she leaned up on the tips of her toes, pressing their foreheads together and sliding her nose against his gently. Her eyes fluttered shut as she reveled in their closeness, long lashes brushing Scott's cheek like the faintest of kisses. She sighed.

"How could I not have missed you, love?" She whispered and a real, genuine smile broke out on Scott's face as she opened her eyes. Their smiles spoke volumes for Jean and she found herself folding her arms over her chest, not sure what to say and at the same time sure she didn't want to witness any other event between these two. And what was worse was that she felt ignored. It was as if they were the only people present. Jean Grey was not one to be ignored.

"I missed you too," he whispered in return and wrapped his arms around her slim waist, melting into her somewhat smaller frame. The hug was brief, however, in light of Jean's rude cough for attention. The two adults wrapped up in each other turned to glance in the redhead's direction, neither choosing to release the other.

"Um, am I missing something?" Jean asked and Scott was pretty sure this was the fifteenth time he rolled his eyes at her all night.

_Yeah, a clue_, his mind snapped and it was actually at the tip of his tongue, but the blonde's hand moved away from the back of his neck, the brief touch of their skin causing his thought to go away. She allowed herself to still have a hold on Scott, but walked towards Jean with a cordial smile.

"My apologies," she said politely and held out her hand towards the redhead. "Dr. Jean Grey, correct?" Jean stared at her quizzically as they shook hands. The blonde's fair skin was very much still warm from her shower or maybe it was the fact that the coolness from outside still lingered on Jean. Either way, her warmth sent a pang of longing for a hot shower to Jean's soul.

"You know me?"

"Well, I obviously know Scott, so I was bound to hear about you," the woman replied bluntly. Her tone suggested that she possibly knew more than what Jean would've wanted and she sent a pointed look Scott's way. He shrugged. "But you taught a psychology seminar on social behavior at my alma mater last summer. One of my colleagues attended." Jean had to rummage through her brain before the memory came to the surface.

"You attended the University of Cambridge?" Jean was thoroughly impressed. The University of Cambridge was a very competitive school seeing how it was one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world. She had applied for her graduate studies and was rejected. It had stung.

"For my undergrad and graduate studies," she answered and they released hands. "Dr. Camille Elliot. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Grey." Jean nodded. There was an almost awkward silence, at least on Jean's part, that followed and for some reason, she felt like the woman had dismissed her without dismissing her. It was a very strange feeling and not one Jean was particularly familiar with.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Camille nodded and Jean glanced at Scott, who still refused to release the blonde's waist. Jean eyed the possessive gesture for a second longer than she should have before nodding again. "I'll see you in a few." She couldn't have walked away any faster. Camille closed the door soon after and turned to Scott who finally released her. She grinned.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all," she exclaimed and Scott laughed. It was a short one, but genuine nonetheless. And it felt good. He hadn't had a really good laugh in a while.

"For you. How in the hell did you get here before us?" Camille shrugged.

"You had a mission in London. And I have friends with private jets." Scott shook his head in amusement.

"Right. I forgot you were a social climber." Camille shot him a look before smiling at him. Scott's gaze softened and he reached up a hand to cup the right side of her face. His thumb stroked the beauty mark on her high cheekbone and Camille closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." Camille opened her eyes to reveal twinkling crystal blue orbs.

"I think I have an idea," she replied softly. She grabbed hold of Scott's hand gently and removed it from her face. "Now, as much as I would love to catch up, I do believe someone has a meeting in eleven minutes. I'll wait for you." The corner of Scott's lips twitched as a crooked, almost innocent smile appeared on his face and if his visors didn't obscure his eyes, Camille was sure she'd detect hopefulness.

"Promise?" Camille giggled before holding up her pinkie.

"Pinky swear."

A drop in the ocean

A change in the weather

I was praying that you and me might end up together

It's like wishing for rain

As I stand in the desert

But I'm holding you closer than most

Because you are my heaven


End file.
